SHANE DUFFY says it will be a huge boost to have skipper Lewis Dunk available for their trip to Liverpool because he is one of their best players.

The 28-year-old defender, a product of Albion’s academy, has been in great form this season and had played every minute of every Premier League game up until the 2-0 defeat to Leicester.

Dunk missed the defeat to Leicester at the weekend due to having to serve a one-match ban after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

Duffy, who played at the back alongside Adam Webster after he returned from an ankle injury against Leicester, stressed how vital Dunk is to Albion.

He said: “It will be good to have him back, we need all the competition for places at this level and in these kind of games you need your best players.

“Fortunately for us, Dunky is one of our best players and it will push everyone on to have him back.”

The Seagulls have relied upon Dunk’s passing in Graham Potter’s build from the back style.

He has made the tenth most passes in the Premier League with 805, of which 643 of them have been accurate short passes.

Fifty-five of his passes have been accurate long balls, which have led to two of the nine goals Albion have scored this season.

The first was a ball over the top which Neal Maupay got on the end of before he rounded keeper Ben Foster in the 3-0 win over Watford on the opening day.

The other was a ball dinked into striker Aaron Connolly, who then cut inside to drive a shot into the far bottom corner in a 3-0 win over Tottenham.

Dunk’s return to the side on Saturday against Liverpool could mean that Duffy has to settle for a place on the bench.

The Irishman has started Albion’s last two games in the absence of Webster against Manchester United and with Dunk ruled out against the Foxes.